David Moyes says Everton are blocking careers of United targets Fellaini and Baines

DAVID MOYES has accused his former club Everton of blocking the careers of Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines.

Moyes knows he risks accusations of hypocrisy by Everton fans over his move for Baines and Fellaini

Moyes cranked up the transfer row between Manchester United and Everton by telling Roberto Martinez and his chairman Bill Kenwright that they should consider what the two players want.

He made little attempt to disguise the fact that he knows the ambition and desire of both Belgium midfielder Fellaini and England left-back Baines is to move to Old Trafford and have the chance to play in the Champions League.

But his words will only serve to further infuriate Everton, who have already said that United’s £28million joint bid is “insulting and derisory”.

Asked if he had sympathy for Martinez’s situation at Goodison Park, he said: “I definitely do. But I also know that if I’d been Everton manager and Sir Alex Ferguson had come asking for Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini, I’d have found it very difficult to keep them, because I always felt the right thing to do was what was right for the players.”

When asked if he would have felt that way if Ferguson had made the same £28m offer for the players that he has, he replied: “Ah, that’s a different question, which I’ve tried to answer.”

Moyes knows he risks accusations of hypocrisy by Everton fans, who remember well his fury when Manchester City came calling for Joleon Lescott four years ago.

After rejecting several offers, Everton eventually sold Lescott for £22m but Moyes felt they had unsettled the player and the affair had affected his squad as they crashed to an embarrassing 6-1 opening day home defeat to Arsenal.

But he defended his current tactics on Fellaini and Baines, arguing that he is perfectly within his rights to make an offer, just as he accepts Chelsea, who visit Old Trafford on Monday, are perfectly entitled to keep making offers for Wayne Rooney.

He is in regular contact with ex-boss Kenwright, suggesting that if his old chairman has any problem with United’s approach then he has not mentioned it in their regular phone calls.

Moyes also pointed out that it was Everton who went public with United’s latest offer.

He added: “I speak to Bill regularly, we speak most weeks. He was great for me and, hopefully, he would think that I’d done a good job for him as well and Everton. There’s no way there is any disrespect whatsoever.

“The bid from Manchester United’s point of view was a private thing and, if and when we make a new offer, we would keep that offer private and confidential as well. It wasn’t our choice [to make it public] – that’s up to them. You need to ask them that question.

“The thing I have to get in here is that Everton are the club I have just left. They are a great club, I respect them greatly. Of course, taking a player is going to affect them, but I’m doing what I have to do in my job.

“This is just a case where we’ve made an offer, we didn’t make it public to anybody, so we will try and answer the questions as best we can.

“The transfer window is open and we are allowed to make bids and clubs can say ‘Yes or no.’ It’s as simple as that. That’s what it is.

“I think there’s sort of a mixed market at the moment. No one is sure where the price is right now. It’s a sort of strange market. Suddenly someone could give you big money.

David Moyes speaks regularly to Bill Kenwright

They are a great club, I respect them greatly. Of course, taking a player is going to affect them, but I’m doing what I have to do in my job

David Moyes

“We’ve had offers for players at this club which we feel are quite small. And I can see the situation where other clubs might be thinking what we’ve bid is not enough value for their players as well.”

There was a patronising element to Moyes’ response to Martinez’s claim that “United’s bid lacked common sense”.

“Roberto is in a new job and I’m sure he’ll get to understand how Everton work,” he said.

“I know exactly how they work. I think I’ve signed every player at Everton so I know a lot about them. All we can do is do our job here. They [Baines and Fellaini] are both excellent players.”

Everton’s goalkeeper legend Neville Southall weighed into the row yesterday by describing Moyes’ offer as “despicable”, but the United manager said he was unaware of those remarks.

Moyes is relishing his reunion with Jose Mourinho in Monday’s showdown against Chelsea – his first home game since becoming United boss.

He said: “I really like Jose. He’s one of the modern era managers and has had great success. I’m really looking forward to seeing him back at Old Trafford.”